Although the United Food & Commercial Workers has not issued a public statement regarding the Wednesday arrests of 680 undocumented workers the UFCW represents, Teamsters President James P. Hoffa strongly condemned the ICE raids.

“The Teamsters Union stands with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) as it works to protect its members against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that are tearing families apart. Federal authorities raided two Mississippi food processing plants represented by UFCW yesterday and arrested scores of union members there,” the Teamsters stated in a press release on Thursday.

“The Teamsters Union is speaking up in support of hardworking union members and their right to a fair and secure workplace,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President.

“The assault on workers must stop now. We want UFCW members and all our brothers and sisters in the labor movement to know that we support you. Our strength is in our unity, and we are calling for an end to policies that hurt workers and tear families apart,” the union leader stated.

By Thursday morning, however, ICE had released dozens of the workers.

“The terms of the workers’ releases were unclear,” reportedTime.com. “It also was unclear whether any of those released were determined to be living in the country legally.”

"I want to urge devotion to the fundamentals of human liberty – the principles of voluntarism. No lasting gain has ever come from compulsion. If we seek to force, we but tear apart that which, united, is invincible. . . . I want to say to you, men and women of the American labor movement, do not reject the cornerstone upon which labor’s structure has been built – but base your all upon voluntary principles…” -- Samuel Gompers, Founder, American Federation of Labor
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